The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1887-02-02

L
the President. DIR. A. l..
knight.
Ladies and Gcnaemen. I appear
before you this evening to discuss
some Of the supposed causes OF the
increase of nervous diseases of the
American people.
To which solicit your undivid.
ed attention. / desire this, be-
cause I know that the subject in
itself is uninviting, and can not be
embellished by humor or rhetoric.
nor, unless you take for granted
my assumed predicates, my deduc
tons would appear illogical.
/ do not propose to offer any elab
crate proof that nervous diseases,
in ratio to the population have
really been on the increase. AS
the scoop net of science, as 1 shall
show further on, may have brought
to view, many who otherwise would
have escaped observation.
But this seeming paradox is a
part of the investigation proposed
in this discussion. Statistics show
us that the inmates Of the Asylnms
of this and other countries have
within the past decades greatly in
creased in proportion to the popu-
llation and that the, increase of in.
sanity proper has been about ten
per cent. or one-half of one per cent
annually. We the supporters of
institutions of benevolence, can
not turn deaf ear to the large and
frequent calls upon our humanity
and pocket bouks, in support of this
most unfortunate class of our fellow
beings.
Just here permit me to make a
digression to- condemn the inhu-
man policy of crowding that class
of our fellow-ci citizens, to the num-
Der of FIVE to eight hundred in one
institution, under the plea of econ
omy; regardless alike of the pros
pectiye curative advantages, and
all the sanitary laws known to
modern SCIENCE.
From which fact great many
private retreats for this class of pa
tients, have been reared by private
enterprise, for those who are able
to afford the expense of such places.
A few of the same kind of Asylums
have been provided by joint stock
companies. Somewhat cheaper to
the patrons than the former.
1t is from the annual reports of
those institutions that we gather
the melancholy information of the
greater increase proportional, as
a summary of the different remote
and exciting causes, producing this
saddest of all Affections in so latge
portion of our fellow creatures.
Still these facts so cleaned, start.
ling as they are, do not of certain
ty prove the increase of the mala-
dy, though they prove conclusively
that there are very many more
claiming the attention of humani-
tarians than heretoforel
But there are other sources and
means by which we gain evidence
of unsound minds. Our courts of
criminal Jurisprudence, furnish us
many examples, the investigation
of which shows, if those tribunals
are trustworthy, large amount of
lunatics at large. Prosecuting at
torneys call it, not improperly, the
insanity dodge. First practiced
successfully before the Chiefs of
the Philistians al Gath. But doubt
less many irresponsible persons are
among us who only become known
through the conrtsl
The expert evidence given pro
and con in such cases becomes the
common property OF all those IN
terested in such matters; and by
which, the attention of PHYSICIANS
is directed to the investigation of
the habits and pedigree of every
eccentric person VINO may come
under their observation.
All this is not pertinent to the
subject, other than to convince you,
that physicians are as a rule not
unmindful of the gravity of ner-
vous diseases in any of its varied
forms. Again the increase of this
particular form of nervous dis.
ease may be only apparent,
since private institutions take none
but supposed durable PATIENTS
Many are received that otherwise
would not be incarcerated. We
infer this, from the greater ratio of
their registered inmates, being re-
turned cured, than are SO returned
from State institutions.
But then it is said, "Fignres
| won't lie u ord tol; ..:.: 7